Boston Celtics: Sports Illustrated feels like Jayson Tatum will make MVP leap in 2022-23

The Boston Celtics have a loaded roster in 2022-23, but what separates the current-day Cs from the team Danny Ainge put together and Brad Stevens coached back in 2018-19 is the collective goals of the team.

Kyrie Irving was a flight risk all year after making the clever caveat that he’d stay in Boston forever if the city would have him. Of course, he has since demonized the city in the wake of his departure to win a singular playoff series in three seasons in Brooklyn. Marcus Morris was also in the hunt for a new deal during his contract deal and turned out to be the No. 1 option on the 2019-20 Knicks. Those two weren’t the only issues, but they were the biggest.

Beyond that team, there hasn’t been a team as talented in Boston since the Big 3 era, and even then, the rosters weren’t as deep. The 2011-12 and 2012-13 teams were stronger on paper than in actuality. Of course, it’s early, but this current Joe Mazzulla-coached roster brings back all the best parts of the 2021-22 team while adding key pieces like Malcolm Brogdon and, possibly, hopefully, Mfiondu Kabengele, and looks like world-beaters again based on an admittedly tiny sample size.

The strength of this team will undoubtedly strengthen the MVP case of Jayson Tatum, who didn’t get much love in the annual GM survey. Actually, he didn’t get any. Be it Jaylen Brown stealing his shine or the regulars (Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid) hogging all the votes, there isn’t much hope from the press about Tatum making the MVP leap.

Luckily, Boston Celtics fans have a friend in Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, who believes Jayson Tatum will make the MVP leap in 2022-23:

The Boston Celtics can help Jayson Tatum win the MVP

In most sports, being the best player on the best team is how you win the MVP award. The reason why the Houdini just spent so much time talking about how loaded this roster has become is because collectively, they are the golden ticket to an MVP for Jayson Tatum.

Of course, he has to outplay his teammate Jaylen Brown, who could have a chip on his shoulder and aim to win the award himself after a summer of Kevin Durant trade rumors. But if the Cs race way ahead of the rest of the league, Brown could be Tatum’s biggest obstacle for the MVP award.